Purdue News

April 2001

Purdue to award 15 honorary doctorates

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind.  Purdue University will award 15 honorary doctoral degrees during May commencement ceremonies around the state.

"We are honoring individuals who not only have reached unparalleled heights in their professional lives, but have also been enormously generous in their contributions to Purdue," said Purdue President Martin C. Jischke. "It is our privilege to invite these individuals back to campus, to recognize their achievements and to inspire today's graduates as they begin their careers."

Thirteen honorees will be recognized at Purdue's West Lafayette campus during four commencement ceremonies May 11, 12 and 13 in Elliott Hall of Music. Two regional campus honorees will be recognized at ceremonies for Purdue North Central on May 8 and Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne on May 9.

 Elizabeth J. Doversberger, Lafayette, Ind., Chancellor of Ivy Tech State College in Lafayette. Her doctor of education degree will be awarded at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, May 12.

 Donald W. Feddersen, Wellesley, Mass., general partner in Bessemer Venture Partners in Boston. His doctor of engineering degree will be awarded at 9:30 a.m. Saturday May 12.

 Robert E. Gadomski, Bethlehem, Pa., executive vice president, Gases and Equipment Group of Air Products and Chemicals Inc. of Allentown, Pa. His doctor of engineering degree will be awarded at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, May 12.

 Ralph P. Hudson, Chevy Chase, Md., retired from the International Bureau of Weights and Measures in Paris, France. His doctor of science degree will be awarded at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, May 12.

 Morton I. Kamien, Wilmette, Ill., the Joseph and Carole Levy Professor of Entrepreneurship in the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill. His doctor of economics degree will be awarded at 8 p.m. Friday, May 11.

 David Kritchevsky, Philadelphia, Pa., Casper Wistar Scholar at the Wistar Institute and Wistar Professor of Biochemistry, Division of Animal Biology, School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. His doctor of science degree will be awarded at 9:30 a.m. Sunday, May 13.

 C. Wayne McIlwraith, Fort Collins, Colo., professor of veterinary surgery and director of the Equine Sciences Teaching and Research Program at Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colo. His doctor of science degree will be awarded at 9:30 a.m. Sunday, May 13.

 John David Mooney, Chicago, Ill., an artist. His doctor of landscape architecture degree will be awarded at 8 p.m. Friday, May 11.

 Leonard E. Mortenson, New Bern, N.C., adjunct (retired) Callaway Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Georgia. His doctor of science degree will be awarded at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, May 12.

 Timothy Richmond, Zurich, Switzerland, professor at the ETH Zurich Institute. His doctor of science degree will be awarded at 8:30 p.m.. Friday, May 11.

 Donald R. Scifres, Palo Alto, Calif., and a native of West Lafayette, Ind., co-chairman of the board of JDS Uniphase Corp. His doctor of engineering degree will be awarded at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, May 12.

At Purdue University North Central:

 Angela J. Del Vecchio, Ann Arbor, Mich., associate professor emeritus of nursing from the University of Michigan. Her doctor of science degree will be awarded at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 8, during ceremonies in the Valparaiso University Chapel of the Resurrection.

At Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne:

 Lawrence H. Lee, Fort Wayne, Ind., president and owner of Leepoxy Plastics Inc. His doctor of letters degree will be awarded at 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 9, at IPFW's commencement in the arena area of the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum.

As a military officer, he retired from the United States Air Force with the rank of two-star major general. In a second career he was an astronaut and logged 188 hours in space.

Today Bridges commands worldwide attention as director of NASA's John F. Kennedy Space Center. His responsibilities include managing all of NASA's facilities and activities at the center related to processing and launch of the space shuttle.

Bridges was a 1965 distinguished graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, where he received a bachelor of science degree in engineering science. He did advanced studies at Purdue University, where he received a master of science degree in astronautical and aeronautical engineering in 1966.

With the Air Force, Bridges served as a test pilot, instructor pilot, and special assistant to the deputy chief of staff for research, development and acquisition at the Pentagon. He flew more than 226 combat missions in Vietnam.

His military honors include the Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, the Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, the Distinguished Flying Cross with two oak leaf clusters, the Meritorious Service Medal, an Air Medal with 14 oak leaf clusters and an Air Force Commendation Medal.

Bridges was selected as a NASA astronaut in 1980. In 1985 he piloted the Spacelab-2 mission, which was the first to operate the Spacelab Instrument Pointing System.

In 1997 he was named to his current position, in which he manages a team of 1,825 NASA employees and 10,000 contractor workers.

He received the Distinguished Engineering Alumnus honor from Purdue in 1998 and the Outstanding Aerospace Engineer Award from Purdue in 1999.

Throughout her career in nursing education, Angela J. Del Vecchio has made significant contributions to nursing programs at Purdue University North Central, Purdue University and the University of Michigan.

Del Vecchio joined the Purdue North Central faculty in 1966 as the campus was preparing to move to a new site in Westville, Ind. During her tenure she developed and inaugurated the associate degree program in nursing.

She left the North Central campus in 1969 to become chairperson of the baccalaureate degree program in nursing at Purdue in West Lafayette. While there, she also served as associate project director for a W.K. Kellogg Foundation grant. The remainder of her academic career was spent at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where she retired in 1985 as an associate professor emeritus of nursing.

Del Vecchio's career includes service to a number of nursing organizations, including district and state levels of the Michigan Nurses Association. She has held professional memberships in the American Nurses Association, National League for Nursing, American Red Cross Nursing Service and Rush Presbyterian St. Lukes Nurses Alumni Association, as well as the Sigma Theta Tau and Kappa Delta Pi honorary societies.

Since the PNC nursing program began more than 2,000 nurses have graduated, most of whom still reside and work in the PNC service area. Del Vecchio's development of the associate degree program helped to chart the course for one of the campus premier academic programs.

In addition, she also has provided financial support through the creation of the A.J. Del Vecchio Endowment. Established in 1996, the endowment not only supports the activities of the nursing section, but presents an annual monetary award to a PNC nursing graduate.

Elizabeth J. Doversberger is a leader in education within the state of Indiana.

She is chancellor of Ivy Tech State College in Lafayette, where she has headed many programs and improvements that have strengthened the school's position as an institution of higher learning in Indiana.

Doversberger received her bachelor's degree in science from Purdue in 1950. She received a master's degree in education from Bradley University in 1971 and a Ph.D. in educational administration from Illinois State University in 1980.

Doversberger's career in public education began in 1969 when she joined the faculty of Illinois Central College, in Peoria., Ill. For 10 years she served as department chair of Mechanical and Industrial Technologies. In 1986 she moved to Ivy Tech State College in Lafayette as dean of instruction. In 1990 she assumed the position of executive dean, now called chancellor.

During her tenure at Ivy Tech State College, Doversberger has enhanced credential requirements for faculty, established endowment funds for student scholarships and faculty/staff development, strengthened the relationship with area businesses and industries, developed articulation agreements with Purdue and other four-year institutions, and helped to acquire land and funding to build a permanent and consolidated campus for Ivy Tech in Lafayette. She is now involved in a major campaign to raise funds for instructional equipment and technology for the campus.

During her tenure as chancellor from 1991 to 2000, Ivy Tech-Lafayette has experienced a 110 percent growth in enrollment.

She is a strong advocate for public education in the state of Indiana and is active in community organizations, serving on many boards and committees.

Donald W. Feddersen is a visionary entrepreneur who made many contributions to early developments in the computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing fields.

He is a general partner in Bessemer Venture Partners in Boston.

Feddersen received his bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering from Purdue in 1956 and an MBA from the University of Chicago in 1969.

In 1970 he joined Gould Inc. as director of acquisition and planning. He was later promoted to general manager of Gould Data Systems Division. Under his direction, Gould Inc. purchased Systems Electronics Laboratories, which became the Computer Systems Division of Gould. The division designed, manufactured and marketed mid-size computers used extensively in the 1970s.

In 1973 Feddersen became president and chief executive officer of Entrex Inc., turning the company around in four years. In 1978 he became president and CEO of Applicon Inc., turning it into a leader and innovator in computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing systems. Feddersen was one of the first to comprehend the tremendous potential of offering integrated computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing solutions.

In 1984 Feddersen left Applicon and went into the venture capital business, joining Charles River Partnerships, one of the 15 largest venture capital firms in the world. Charles River Partnerships specializes in high technology. Through the company, Feddersen directed the investment of more than $70 million in four companies. In 1998 Feddersen joined Bessemer Venture Partners.

Feddersen's generosity led to establishment of the Donald W. Feddersen Distinguished Professorship in mechanical engineering at Purdue. He also has established two faculty fellowships in mechanical engineering.

Robert E. Gadomski is a key leader with the world's only combined gases and chemicals company.

He is executive vice president of the gases and equipment group of Air Products and Chemicals Inc. in Allentown, Pa.

Gadomski was born and grew up in Chicago. He received his bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering at Purdue in 1969 and earned a master's of science in industrial administration at Purdue in 1970.

Air Products and Chemicals Inc. is an international supplier of industrial gases and related equipment and selected chemicals. Founded nearly 60 years ago, the company has annual revenues of $5 billion and locations in more than 30 countries. The company employs 17,000 people worldwide.

Prior to his current appointment, Gadomski was executive vice president of chemicals. In that post he helped position the company for long-term growth by expanding international sales.

Gadomski has been a leader in establishing Air Products and Chemicals Inc. as an international business. He has been successful in identifying areas of new business development, and he has implemented new initiatives in several strategic business areas that have increased efficiency. He has spearheaded development of production processes that have brought new and high-quality chemical products to market.

Gadomski is an enthusiastic alumnus of Purdue. He has championed a successful link between Purdue and Air Products and Chemicals Inc. and helped prepare a multiyear proposal that provided significant financial support for several areas of the university, including the School of Chemical Engineering.

He was named Purdue Outstanding Chemical Engineer in 1990 and received a Distinguished Engineering Alumnus Award in 1992. He received the Krannert School of Management Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1988.

Ralph P. Hudson has had a distinguished research career that includes participation as a key member of a team responsible for a groundbreaking experiment.

Retired from the International Bureau of Weights and Measures in Paris, France, Hudson today lives in Chevy Chase, Md. He was born in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, United Kingdom, and received his bachelor's degree in 1944 from Oxford and his master's and doctorate degrees from Oxford in 1949.

He was a visiting lecturer in the Purdue Department of Physics in 1949 and 1950. In 1951 he joined the cyrogenics section of what was then called the National Bureau of Standards, and was later chief of that section and then chief of the heat division. The National Bureau of Standards is now named the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Hudson served as deputy director of the Center for Absolute Physical Quantities at the National Bureau of Standards. He was a staff member of the International Bureau of Weights and Measures in France, where he also served as editor of Metrologia for nine years. He was program manager at the National Science Foundation from 1989 to 1992.

Hudson's scientific activities and contributions have been varied and significant. He is highly respected in both the low-temperature physics and fundamental standards areas. He was a key member of a team that carried out groundbreaking, landmark research in the 1960s confirming a prediction that a parity violation would occur in the beta decay of oriented cobalt 60.

Hudson's honors include the John Price Wetherill Medal of the Franklin Institute, the Stratton and Condon Awards of the National Bureau of Standards and the Gold Medal of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Morton J. Kamien is a major figure in theoretical industrial organization.

He is the Joseph and Carole Levy Distinguished Professor of Entrepreneurship in the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University. Prior to joining Northwestern, Kamien was on the faculty of Carnegie Mellon.

A native of Warsaw, Poland, Kamien grew up in New York City. He received a bachelor of arts degree from the City College of New York in 1960 and received his Ph.D. from Purdue in 1964.

Kamien is a distinguished scholar in economic theory and its application, particularly to industrial organization. He has made fundamental contributions to the use of game theory and dynamic optimization methods in the theory of industrial organization. He is widely recognized for his work on patent races, the value of patents, mergers and entry deterrence.

Kamien has authored more than 70 journal articles and has coauthored two important books. His book "Dynamic Optimization" has become a standard graduate and advanced undergraduate text. The other book, "Market Structure and Innovation," is a standard reference on the effect of market conditions and rivalry on innovation. He is a Fellow of the Econometric Society and listed in "Who's Who in Economics."

He is director of the Heizer Center for Entreprenuership Studies at Northwestern and has served as chair of the Department of Managerial Economics and Decisions Sciences. He has been associate dean for academic affairs at Northwestern's Kellogg Graduate School of Management.

He is a longtime friend of the Krannert School of Management and Purdue. In 1991 he received Krannert's John S. Day Distinguished Alumni Academic Service Award.

David Kritchevsky is one of the world's leading nutrition scientists and has contributed enormously to the understanding of human nutrition during the past four decades.

He is the Casper Wistar Scholar at the Wistar Institute and Wistar Professor of Biochemistry, Division of Animal Biology, School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. He holds an adjunct appointment with the Purdue School of Consumer and Family Sciences and is a longtime friend of Purdue.

Born in Kharkov, Russia, Kritchevsky received his bachelor of science degree in chemistry from the University of Chicago in 1939. He received a master's degree from the University of Chicago in organic chemistry in 1942 and his Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Northwestern University in 1948.

Kritchevsky was a leader in moving nutrition beyond defining minimal essential nutrient requirements to the consideration of an optimal diet for the prevention of chronic diseases. In his distinguished career in nutrition, Kritchevsky has laid the foundation for understanding the link between components of diet and chronic disease.

Much of our current understanding of the role of dietary fat, cholesterol, protein, fiber and other diet components in development and prevention of athlerosclerosis and several forms of cancer are based on Kritchevsky's contributions.

A number of important societies and institutions, including the American Heart Association, have recognized his important contributions with awards for outstanding achievement and research accomplishments. He has received a Research Career Award from the National Institutes of Health.

The Purdue Department of Foods and Nutrition invited Kritchevsky to become an adjunct professor because of his close mentoring and research collaborations with their faculty. He helped Purdue initiate the Corporate Affiliate Program in Foods and Nutrition.

Lawrence H. Lee has been a tireless activist for philanthropic and civic causes for many years. A Harvard-trained attorney, Lee is president and owner of Leepoxy Plastics Inc. in Fort Wayne.

He has been an influential leader through his involvement in a broad range of organizations including Big Brothers, Big Sisters, East African Hunger Relief, the Fort Wayne Business Forum and the Fort Wayne steering committee for the City of Hope. A longtime director of the Fort Wayne Track Club, he was instrumental in founding the Fort Wayne TV-33 Marathon, and helped establish, or contributed to, a number of running events benefiting charities. Lee was honored in 1980 by the National Spinal Injury Foundation as one of a dozen U.S. pioneers in mainstreaming wheelchair athletes in athletic competitions.

Lee has been an avid supporter of IPFW for the past 19 years  from academics to athletics  not only with financial gifts but with his presence at most athletic events. As one of IPFWs ambassadors, he has helped position the university as a valued community asset.

C. Wayne McIlwraith is widely regarded as one of the world's premier equine surgeons.

He is professor of veterinary surgery and director of the Equine Sciences Teaching and Research Program at Colorado State University.

The New Zealand native received his doctorate in veterinary medicine from Massey University in 1970 and his master's and Ph.D. from Purdue in 1977 and 1979. McIlwraith is a diplomate of both the American and European College of Veterinary Surgeons.

McIlwraith is routinely called upon to perform the most delicate of orthopedic procedures on the world's most prized equine athletes. His outstanding surgical skills have earned him international acclaim.

His scholarly contributions have centered upon his primary interests in equine orthopedics, osteoarthritis and arthroscopy. He is widely acknowledged as the father of equine arthroscopy and arthroscopic surgery. His research contributions have provided significant developments that have had a major impact on the diagnostic, therapeutic and preventative health care available to the veterinary profession.

He is the primary author or editor of nine major textbooks, 26 textbook chapters and 178 journal publications.

McIlwraith's contributions to organized veterinary medicine are equally exemplary. He has been an active member of both the American College of Veterinary Surgeons and the American Association of Equine Practitioners, serving on numerous committees of each. He is current president of the American Association of Equine Practitioners and previously served as president of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons. He is a member of the editorial review boards of nine different veterinary journals including the prestigious Journal of Veterinary Surgery and the Equine Veterinary Journal.

John David Mooney is an internationally recognized and acclaimed environmental artist.

Based in Chicago, Mooney has touched the world through works that reach from the transformation of the Tribune Tower into a monumental light sculpture titled "Light Muse," to sculpture in Malta for celebration of the millennium. In addition to being displayed in urban settings, his works are part of many museum collections, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Art Institute of Chicago.

Mooney has a long and rich association with Purdue dating to 1973 when he was named the university's first artist-in-residence through an aesthetics in engineering grant within the Schools of Engineering.

In 1980, Mooney established the John David Mooney Foundation in Chicago to provide educational opportunities for young artists, architects and landscape architects through intern and apprentice programs. The foundation also sponsors a lecture and exhibition program to bring international artists, architects and landscape architects to Chicago.

In recent years, Purdue's landscape architecture students and program have benefited significantly from a relationship with Mooney and the John David Mooney Foundation. Mooney has been instrumental in opening the way to challenging and exciting projects in Chicago. He has provided opportunities for professional input and display of student work at public viewings. Purdue students also have benefited from internships in his Chicago studio.

Mooney has received many awards and honors for his work. In 1999 he received the prestigious Eloise G. ReQua International Humanitarian Award from the Library of International Relations of the Chicago-Kent School of Law at the Illinois Institute of Technology.

Leonard E. Mortenson is an internationally renowned researcher in biochemistry, a pioneering scientist and world leader in his field.

In retirement, he is Adjunct Callaway Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Georgia and lives in New Bern, N.C.

Mortenson received his bachelor of science degree in chemistry-bacteriology from the University of Rhode Island in 1950. In 1952 he received his master's degree in biochemistry-bacteriology from the University of Wisconsin and continued there for his doctorate, which he received in 1954.

Mortenson was a research chemist with DuPont before coming to Purdue as an associate professor of biology in 1962. He remained at Purdue for 20 years, becoming a full professor. In 1981 he left to become senior research associate and group head at Exxon Research and Engineering Co. In 1985 he was appointed Fuller E. Callaway Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Georgia. He also was appointed chairman of the Division of Biological Sciences at Georgia and, in 1987, became the founder and director of the university's Center for Metalloenzyme Studies. He retired in 1993.

Mortenson is internationally renowned for his discovery of ferredoxin and for his research in the biochemistry of biological nitrogen fixation. He is especially noted for his studies of nitrogenase, the essential enzyme that reduces atmospheric nitrogen to ammonia. Mortenson was a pioneer in the identification, purification and characterization of other metal-sulfur proteins, including ferredoxin and hydrogenase. He can be considered one of the founders of the field of iron-sulfur proteins, whose importance now ranges from nitrogenase, hydrogenase and biological energy transduction to the regulation of DNA transcription. His work has been important in devising means of increasing nitrogen inputs to crop plants for the purpose of increasing yields.

Jerry S. Rawls is an entrepreneur who cofounded one of Silicon Valley's most successful, fastest growing technology companies.

Born in Houston, Rawls received his bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering at Texas Tech University in 1967. In 1968 he received a master of science in industrial administration from Purdue and set out on his remarkable career.

He first worked for Raychem Corp., a materials science and engineering company. At Raychem, Rawls quickly advanced and became general manager of the interconnections systems division.

In 1988 Rawls and Frank Levinson, a Raychem colleague, left the company and created their own firm, Finisar Corp. The new company quickly staked out a niche in high-speed fiberoptic data communications. In the early 1990s, Finisar delivered the world's first low-cost gigabit optic links. Finisar products became the basis for today's fiber channel and gigabit ethernet standards for computer communication. Rawls is president, chief executive officer and a director of the company.

Finisar was named to Deloitte & Touche's prestigious "Silicon Valley Technology Fast 50," a ranking of the 50 fastest growing technology companies in the area. Rankings are based on the percentage of growth during the five-year period from 1995 to 1999. Finisar's revenues increased 1,222 percent during that period.

To show his appreciation for the role Purdue played in his career, Rawls stepped forward with a $10 million gift to the "Krannert at the Frontier" campaign. His gift is the largest in Krannert School of Management history and is going toward a state-of-the-art building named Jerry S. Rawls Hall. Rawls also donates his time to the university, returning to campus to serve on the Dean's Advisory Council and as a lecturer.

Timothy Richmond has had an outstanding career in structural biology, both in terms of the results of his research and also in development of new methodologies.

Richmond, a professor at the ETH Zurich Institute, Switzerland, received his bachelor of science degree in biochemistry from Purdue in 1970. He received his Ph.D. from Yale University, where he also did some postdoctoral work. He then moved to the MRC laboratory in Cambridge, England, and rose to a tenured staff position there. In 1987 Richmond was recruited to the faculty of the ETH Zurich, one of the premier research institutes of central Europe.

Richmond has focused most of his scientific research on protein-DNA interactions. He has had an exceptionally creative and productive record of scientific accomplishments, capped by solving the structure of the nucleosome core particle at atomic resolution. This achievement has been cited hundreds of times in the three years since it was published and has led to dozens of speaking engagements at the world's most prestigious research institutions.

The nucleosome is the complex which packages DNA. It is the "spool" on which lengthy DNA is wound to make it compact, yet orderly, so it can remain functional. Understanding its structure at the molecular level will lead to better understanding of a host of cellular processes involving gene activation/deactivation and processes involved in cellular growth and replication.

In the process of solving the nucleosome structure and a number of other protein/DNA complexes, Richmond has developed new methodologies for crystallizing such complexes. He is a world leader in the development of practical approaches for his technologies.

Richmond's current studies are aimed at describing the whole cycle of packaging DNA in the cell and selectively opening the stored genes for expression at the appropriate points in the cell's life.

Donald R. Scifres is an electrical engineer and an inspired entrepreneur.

Scifres lives in Palo Alto, Calif. He was born in Lafayette, Ind., grew up in West Lafayette and received his bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering from Purdue in 1968. He earned his master's degree at the University of Illinois in 1970 and his Ph.D. from Illinois in 1972.

Upon completion of his doctorate, he joined the research staff at Xerox and became manager of a 23-person opto-electronics group. He advanced to the status of research fellow with Xerox and worked in the elecro-optic and integrated optic device field. During this time he wrote more than 160 technical papers and received more than 40 patents, including those on structures now manufactured by five different companies.

In 1983 Scifres founded Spectra Diode Laboratories Inc., which later became known as SDL Inc. SDL became a pioneer in advancing semiconductor laser and optoelectronic technology. It was the first company in the world to successfully commercialize the integration of multiple lasers on a single semiconductor device. Its innovations have helped significantly in opening the door to more widespread commercial possibilities for semiconductor laser technology.

Last February JDS Uniphase Corp. and SDL Inc. announced the completion of their merger. It is the largest merger of technology companies to date. Scifres was named president of the company's amplification and transmission business group. He also became co-chairman of the JDS Uniphase Board of Directors.

Scifres holds 133 patents and is the author of 304 technical articles. He has contributed to three books. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and a Fellow of both the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and the Optical Society of America. He has received numerous honors and awards.

He was named a Purdue Distinguished Engineering Alumnus in 1990 and an Outstanding Electrical Engineer in 1992.